The Beginning of Forever
by Silva Bramley
Summary: Ino and Kiba have focused everything into their most important mission, and they realize they have more in common with Sasuke then they ever imagined. Final Story in the InoxKiba Trilogy. Preluded by Beauty and the Beast and Hard to Let Go.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Wootwoot! The third installment of the KibaxIno trilogy!**

The loud sounds of her running feet echoed around her and matched the panicked beating of her heart. She glanced quickly over her shoulder to see how close her pursuer was. Her eyes widened in obvious fright when she saw that he was but a few feet behind her. Almost close enough to tackle.

She turned back 'round, tucking her head down and picking up the pace. Her arm movements growing wilder and wilder. Her eyes were tearing up at the effort, her sides aching and her throat burning. She couldn't get enough air into her lungs.

She turned abruptly down a side hallway, her trained ninja eye spotting the dead end straight ahead. She didn't even have to turn to see if her pursuer was still on her tail, she could _feel_ him.

The hallway was dark all around her, but their was a faint glowing in the distance. Something told she that if she reached the light in the distance, she would be safe.

On and on she ran, but the light always stayed away. Never coming any closer. Frustrated, she wondered if it was moving, running away from her.

When she thought she all hope was gone and was about to give up, she burst into a light filled room.

Inside, she blinked, trying to adjust to the eye-hurting brightness. After a few blinded seconds, she was able to see again. The source of the light came from a bright, white sphere resting in the middle of the room.

"If I touch that, I will forget who I am," She said, quietly to herself. There was a scrambling noise, and she turned around to see what was going on.

"Go ahead and touch it," Her pursuer said.

"I like who I am, I don't want to forget," She said, shaking her head in refusal.

"The only way to forget me, is to forget yourself," He said, stepping closer to her. As he stepped into the room, light bounced off the lens of his sunglasses.

She took a stop back, desperate to put space between him and herself. But as she stepped closer to the ball of light, she found herself forgetting who he was.

"Who are you?" She asked, taking another fearful step backward.

"Shino, the one you killed," He said.

"I didn't killed you," She said, still backing up.

"How do you know that? You can't even remember who I am," He said, a mocking smile on his face.

"If I touch it, you'll leave?" She asked, tentatively.

"If that's you're greatest desire," Shino said.

"Before you leave, will you tell me who I am?" She asked him, forgetting that seconds ago he had been chasing her.

"Touch it," He urged her.

She turned and touched the orb with a shaky hand. The instant her warm palm touched the smooth surface of the sphere there was an explosion of light issued from the ball.

The ball of light shone brightly. With her other hand, she shielded her eyes. It grew brighter and wider, climbing down her arm. Until it surrounded her. She tried to pull her hand away, as the large ball of light, herself inside it, began to float off the ground.

"Yamanaka Ino!" Shino yelled at her, uncharacteristically laughing.

"Who's that?" She whispered, as everything shone brighter and brighter around her, until everything was white.

She closed her eyes, thinking white was such a drab, uninteresting color. When she opened them again she found herself in a field of white flowers.

Ino sat up and looked around her, wondering where she was.

"Hi, big-pretty," A young boy voice said. Ino turned to see a little boy with black hair and crimson eyes.

"I'm not big," Ino said, feeling self-conscious.

"You're a big girl, silly," The boy said, giggling. Ino's face relaxed when she realized he wasn't calling her fat.

"Why are you out here all alone?" She asked him, looking around for parental figures.

"I always come here big-pretty, I like to get away from my mum and dad," He said, his red eyes dancing.

Something was familiar about this boy.

"Sasuke?" Ino asked, hesitantly.

The boy giggled, and put two fingers at the base of his nose, right by the inside points of his eyes. Then he pulled them both down and away, stopping about halfway down his cheeks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ino asked.

"It's a clue, big-pretty," He said in a sing-song manner.

"A clue?" She wondered aloud, wrinkling her nose in concentration. What was this boy trying to say, "Can't you just tell me?"

"No," He said, "If I do, you'll kill me."

"I wouldn't kill you," Ino said, smiling at him kindly.

"But you want to. It's you're deepest desire. You want to kill me more than anything. You would rather see me dead, then forget about bug-boy," The boy said, still smiling.

"Bug-boy?" Ino repeated, puzzled.

"You're waking up now," The boy said, smugly, red eyes flashing.

--

"Ino…Ino!" Somebody kept saying, shaking her.

She opened her eyes and saw a familiar face with two red triangles and brown hair looking down at her.

"Kiba-kun," Ino whispered, smiling at him.

"Are you ok?" He asked, his forehead wrinkled in concern, "You were crying."

Ino put a hand to her cheeks and found that he was speaking the truth, her cheeks were wet from tears.

"The dream," She said softly, sitting up and wiping away the tears.

"Again?" Kiba asked, moving to sit beside her.

She nodded and leaned against him.

They were sitting in a small clearing, where the branches intertwined above them, forming a roof and a natural air conditioning. It was darker and cooler here.

Remembering the coolness of the clearing, Ino shivered in the spring chill and hugged Kiba's coat closer to her. Feeling her shiver, Kiba instinctively wrapped an arm around her small shoulders. Together, Ino and Kiba found their gazes pulled to the small sprouts, thriving happily not too far from them.

True to their word and previous vow, they protected the flower, and saved it's seeds to plant the next year and the next year. Now there were several, instead of the lonely one. They were in better shape than the first, too, taller and with bigger leaves. Ino had been tending to it, using her magical touch to some how make the rare flower even more beautiful.

Though they couldn't see it through the roof of branches, both shinobi knew that the sun was just rising. Another day had passed, of them performing their ninja duties, training until exhaustion, and then falling asleep here in the clearing.

Reminded of training, Ino glanced over her shoulder at the training equipment laying on the other side of the log, which cut the clearing in half.

"We should head back to the village, Tsunade-sama is expecting us," Ino said. Kiba sighed.

"Couldn't we just wait here a little longer. Rest a little bit longer?" Kiba asked.

Ino frowned.

"And while we're sitting here resting, Itachi is out there getting stronger. Maybe killing another innocent," She said.

"I know," Kiba said grimly, "Let's go."

He stood up, and then reached out a hand to her. She took it, and he pulled her to her feet. Kiba started to leave, but Ino stopped him with a light hand on his shoulder.

When he turned to look at her, she grabbed both his shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss.

"I'm sorry, but we can't give up, you understand, right?" Ino asked when they parted.

"I understand, we need to train and get better," He said, a sly grin on his face, "Keep moving forward, eh?"

Ino returned his smile.

"Yes, keep moving forward," She said.

Together they set off back to the village, taking a different way than they had the day before and the day before that. They tried to vary it as much as they could. Ino and Kiba wanted to keep their clearing a secret.

Both of them were at the clearing often, sleeping there more than at their own homes. But their parents never asked them anymore, always knowing the answer.

"We have to get stronger, for Shino," They'd say.

Ino was surprised at how understanding her father was. She recalled how angry Inoichi had been when he had heard the rumor that Ino had slept with Kiba. She hadn't of course. She still hadn't. A baby would just get in the way of their ultimate mission. To avenge Shino.

"Hey, Ino," Sakura said, nodding at both of them in greeting, "Kiba."

"Hi," Kiba waved.

"Sakura," Ino said, hugging the girl.

"Naruto got back today," Sakura said.

"Really? How exciting," Ino said, smiling at her best friend.

"I know, right?"

Naruto had gone off with Jiraya-sama for a few years to train. His most important mission was to bring Sasuke back.

Ino had considered leaving to train like Naruto had, but she knew that she'd miss her family and friends too much. Plus, Ino and Kiba had never been ones to 'copy' somebody else.

So training in the clearing suited both of them just fine. And Ino was proud to know that they both had improved immensely. Tsunade often paired them up on missions together, all their training allowed them to work as one. They developed their teamwork and jutsu in such a way, that they could fight along-side almost flawlessly.

With much persistence, and lots of puppy-dog eyes, Kiba had even convinced Ino to give up dieting. Looking at her, you could tell. She was still thin, but now she was more healthy. Full of healthy, feminine curves, Ino saw the benefit of eating and exercising as opposed to not eating and not exercising.

"How is he?" Ino asked, suddenly missing him. She hadn't seen him in nearly three years, after all.

"I haven't seen him yet. I'm on my way, in fact," Sakura said, straightening her shirt and smiling at the pair, "So, I'll see you later?"

"Yah, later," Kiba said, as he and Ino waved at Sakura.

"Oh! I almost forgot, Tsunade-sama wants to see you," Sakura called over her shoulder.

"I'll meet you there?" Ino asked, already starting to walk away.

"Yep," Kiba said, walking in the opposite direction.

Ino walked in the direction of her house, she needed a shower. She enjoyed taking showers daily, but then again, who didn't?

She pushed her front door open, letting go of it and letting it swing all the way on it's hinges and hit the wall behind it.

"I'm home!" Ino called to the quiet house.

She hooked her foot behind the door and swung it shut. Ino had pushed it harder than she had meant, and it banged.

Cringing at the noise, Ino danced up the stairs, looking forward to her shower.

About 20 minutes later, Ino emerged from the bathroom, hair clean and hanging around her shoulders wet. She ran to her room, clothed only in a towel. She threw her clothes on quickly and bound down the stairs.

"Ino?" Her mother's voice came from the kitchen.

"Yes, mama?" Ino asked, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Come drink a cup of tea with me, I haven't talked to you properly for so very long," Her mother said, in her serious, grown-up way of talking.

Ino walked into the kitchen, pulling her long blonde hair up into a ponytail, carefully leaving her bangs down. She sat down at the table with her mother, plopping down on a embroidered pillow and grabbing a cup of tea.

"How are things going with you and Kiba?" Her mother asked, taking a sip of her tea.

Ino took a long, deep drink before answering.

"Good," She answered simply, cupping the warm cup in her hands.

"No fights or anything?"

"Why? Do you want us to fight?"

"No, it's just unnatural for you two to always be close and to never fight. Your Father and I fight, surely you know that," Her mother sad, setting her cup down on the low table.

"We do fight, sometimes. But when we start to get on each other's nerves, then we hang out with other people for a while. That way we don't get tired of each other," Ino answered.

"I see. I was just worried about you, Honey," Ino's mother said, suddenly looking very tired and old.

Ino jumped up from her spot and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"I'm doing just fine, Mama. Me and Kiba are just peachy," Ino said, putting her cup in the sink, "But I have to go now, Tsunade called for us."

"She calls for you everyday, doesn't she?" Her mother asked.

"But I feel like something's different today," Ino said, smiling broadly at her mom. Her mom returned the smile.

Ino called 'good-byes' over her shoulder and walked briskly to her and Kiba's meeting place. She thought about her talk with her mother. What had brought that up? People thought they never fought?

She decided to just shrug it off when she arrived at the Hokage's Place. Shizune smiled at Kiba and her warmly and lead them into Tsunade's office.

"I have received reports of Yuri sightings. She's not to far from her, actually," Tsunade said, clasping her hands together.

"But," Tsunade said, noticing Kiba and Ino's eager grins, "You have to bring her back alive. And understand that this opportunity may never show itself again. Don't fail."

Ino and Kiba nodded.

"_Farewell, Itachi, next time I see you, I will be stronger. And I will kill you," Ino said. Turning back, she slipped out the hole. _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: And Yuri makes a reappearance! Finally with a break in chores, school, and work I'm able to post the next chapter. Enjoy?**

Ino focused her attention on Kiba's black, leather coat-clad back. He was crouched a few yards ahead of her. A few minutes passed of silence, not even the birds were chirping.

She had to be close. Ino could feel it in her gut. She could almost hear Yuri's sarcastic voice saying something rude.

Kiba lifted a hand up, holding up two fingers. It was the signal. The coast was clear.

Ino burst from her hiding spot, careful to not make too much noise, and chakra-leaped to Kiba's side.

He looked at her, affectionately placing a hand briefly on the lower part of her thigh, and they both took off.

After about a minute, Kiba held up an arm and Ino stopped, while he continued on a few more yards.

He crouched again, and Ino focused her attention on his back again, waiting for the signal.

This time it was different. Kiba held his hand up high, holding up all his fingers, and then making a fist.

Yuri!

Ino cautiously made her way to Kiba's side, and crouched next to him. He pointed down through the branches, and Ino saw Yuri, strangely by herself, eating a meal.

Ino looked to Kiba, and he put his hands together, thumbs and pointer fingers touching, and pulled them apart and around, making a circular motion. Ino's brow furrowed for a second, before she realized he meant for her to go to the other side, and surround the black haired girl.

She nodded and began to carefully make her around the clearing. When she reached the other side, she looked to Kiba for the ok.

Kiba had an uneasy, nervous look on his face. Ino understood. The absence of Akamaru had her on edge, too.

Akamaru had been unable to come, he had to stay with Hana-chan because he'd sprained his ankle. It seemed such a small injury to miss a mission for, but your health could be the difference between living and dieing on a mission. Kiba didn't want to take the chance, neither did Ino.

Kiba nodded.

Ino put her hands together and prepared to perform one of her new jutsu, to be able to control someone without leaving her body.

She focused her chakra, mind, and willpower and initiated her jutsu. But, instead of gaining control of Yuri, the girl turned into snow and fell to the ground in a melting-pile.

Ino's eyes widened and she looked in Kiba's direction, but he wasn't there. The hair's on the back of Ino's neck stood up, and she spun around just in time to get knocked off her perch by a strong blast of snow. It's heaviness made it hard for her to maneuver in the air, and she landed hard on her back, the air knocked out of her. She gasped for breath, her body shaking with the effort.

Ino squeezed her eyes shut in pain, she laid on the ground until she finally caught her breath. She struggled to sit up, pushing the snow off of her. Looking up, Ino saw Yuri standing above her, staring down at her with contempt.

"You?" Yuri asked, "I thought I'd have the fortune to never see you again."

"I thought your rudeness was a part of your act, but I guess that's just who you are," Ino retorted, trying to calm down. Her mission was to bring Yuri back alive, she couldn't lose her temper and jeopardize everything she and Kiba had worked for.

"It's better than being weak and slutty," Yuri said, an icy grin on her face.

Ino lost it.

Leaping up, Ino tackled Yuri and they both fell to the ground, Ino raining punches on every inch of Yuri she could reach. Yuri kicked her off, and did a couple back hand springs to put space in between them.

Yuri began doing hand signs, and Ino, following suit, started doing hand signs as well. But before anything happened, Yuri was gone in a flash of teeth and claws, knocked away by Kiba's jutsu.

Ino noticed the dark haired girl's wide eyes, Yuri obviously hadn't expected Kiba to be there. But she recovered quickly and leapt up into the tree.

"How's the baby?" Yuri asked.

Ino's body tensed, and she was about to spring on her. That girl really knew how to push Ino's buttons. Kiba put a hand on her arm.

"She's trying to get you so angry you make rash choices that'll help her escape," Kiba whispered to her.

"I don't have a baby," Ino said, calmly and loud enough for Yuri to hear, "And I've gotten stronger. Stronger than you."

"Ha!" Yuri called, grinned and began forming hand signs again. Her hands moved quickly, and Ino wished she had the sharingan. It sure would be helpful if she could read Yuri's moves instead of just trying to anticipate them.

Water blew out of the ground, flying high in high-pressured speeds. Then, starting slowly from the middle, the water began to freeze. The coldness spread through the wall of water, moving faster and faster, until the whole thing was a see-through mass of ice.

Ino saw a blurry grin on Yuri's face through the ice, but when the whole thing began to creak, the girl disappeared. Ino tried to find her again, but couldn't. The creaking grew louder, and Ino realized that the whole thing was moving. It split down the middle, and began shaping into two ice tigers.

"Kiba! Remember the jutsu the ANBU warned us about? It killed one ANBU member, and severely injured the other," Ino said to him in a quick undertone, "This is it."

Kiba opened his mouth to reply, but an icy claw knocked him back and away from Ino.

"Kiba!" Ino cried, pulling out a kunai and stabbing it into the ice leg while it was retracting from it's attack. This was the jutsu, but it was different. Instead of one big tiger, it was two smaller tigers.

The whole ice leg fell apart, and frozen shards rained down on her and Kiba. Ino turned and ran to where Kiba was. He had a big cut on his arm.

"Ino, I'm ok," He said, on his feet and ready to head back into the fray.

"Wait, let me heal that for you," Ino said, her hands glowing green with healing chakra. Ino healed him quickly, all the time keeping an eye on the creaking ice tigers. One wobbling on three legs.

Ino was nearly done healing Kiba's cut when he pulled them both down into a duck. The claw swept over them harmlessly, yet still cutting close to the loss of their heads.

"Ino, it's fine. You can heal it better later, right now we're sitting ducks and Yuri's getting away," Kiba said. He pointed into the wind, "She heading that way at full speed. I don't think she knows about my jutsu skills, otherwise she would have headed downwind. Ino, follow her, and I'll stay here and fight the tigers."

"Ok," Ino said, looking into Kiba's eyes, "I'll do my best. Stay safe."

"I will, now go!" Kiba said, pushing her in the direction he had pointed. Ino nodded and took off.

She charka leapt through the trees, pushing herself to run fast enough to catch the fleeing shinobi. Yuri. The girl who had a big part in the death of Shino, and the attempted kidnap of Naruto which would have led to his death as well.

If anyone could point a finger in Itachi's direction, why not her?

"Yuri, I will catch you," Ino said, determined.

And with that vow, Ino spotted Yuri.

With a new, faster, more determined pace, Ino was within tackling distance.

This was it.

Ino gathered her strength and chakra, and pounced.

Down, down, down they fell.

Ino's fall was cushioned by Yuri. Ino recovered from the impact faster than Yuri and began punching her again. All the anger and hatred she had harbored inside for two years emerged and was directed at Yuri.

Ino collected her chakra in her fist, like Tsunade had taught her and Sakura, and rained chakra-induced punches on Yuri. Even when Ino felt Yuri go limp and heard the crash of the Ice Tigers falling apart, Ino kept punching.

"Ino…Ino…," Some one was saying, repeating her name over and over and trying to pull her away.

Ino fought against the hands and tried to keep punching, but the hands were strong and pulled her away from Yuri. She turned, ready to punch this person who dared stop her, when she saw it was Kiba.

With a sob, she fell into his arms. Kiba wrapped his arms around her soothingly.

"Did you kill her?" Kiba asked, waiting until her crying had quieted.

Sniffling, Ino crawled off of Kiba's lap and over to the bloody body of Yuri. She placed her hand on Yuri's wrist, and felt the heartbeat.

"No, she's just unconscious," Ino answered, rubbing her eyes.

"I thought it was going to be harder," Kiba said, almost unbelieving at their success.

"Well, she was just a kid, like us. It was two against one. She was pretty outnumbered," Ino said, shrugging her shoulders and staring at Yuri.

"Nobody stands a chance against your fury anyway," Kiba said, smiling.

"I didn't mean to lose my temper," Ino whispered, knowing that Kiba was teasing her, but still feeling guilty for losing it.

"Ready to head back?" Kiba asked.

Ino nodded.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Work. School. Chores. Cheerleading. Tumbling. Friends. If it weren't for all of those things, I would have posted this chapter sooner.**

**Reviews help motivate me, you know? I've never had to ask for reviews, but 0 isn't very encouraging.**

**I love you guys, so this chapter is dedicated to all my friends and readers.**

Ino slammed her fist on a wooden end table in anger, knocking off the vase with a crash and wincing at the pain in her sore knuckles.

"I'm sorry, Ino, she'll be out for a week. There's nothing we can do about it," Sakura said, watching her friend pace up and down the hallway with anxious eyes. The medic-nin standing next to Sakura looked afraid, like Ino might strike out and smite her where she stood.

"In a week, Itachi could be in an entirely different place, and if Yuri knew where he was then she won't now," Ino said, still angrily pacing, "The whole mission was a waste."

"It was your fault, Ino, so don't yell at Sakura about it," Shikamaru said, walking up in the middle of the conversation, and surveying Ino's angry pacing and Sakura's anxious expression with indifference.

Ino turned on her heel to fix Shikamaru with an angry glare and marched up to the lazy boy, and grabbed the front of his shirt.

"I hate that girl! And I punched her until she was unconscious! Of course it's my fault! I know the mission was a failure because I couldn't control my temper! You don't need to rub it in my face!" Ino shouted in his face.

Everything in the hospital hallway fell silent, and everyone who was near looked her way.

"Damn it!" Ino cursed, releasing Shikamaru and stalking away. She only paused to call over her shoulder, "I'm going home. If there are any updates, tell Kiba."

Sakura and Shikamaru stood there motionless and silent, listening to the hurried footsteps and the door slamming. It sounded like a gunshot and seemed to break the spell that had fallen over the two, Sakura turned to look at Shikamaru, who's head jerked at the noise.

"Shikamaru, you shouldn't have said that," Sakura said, looking at him disapprovingly.

"What? It was the truth," Shikamaru said with a casual shrug.

"The truth isn't always meant to be told, besides she already knew," Sakura said, walking away from him as well.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru said with a great sigh, and left the hallway also.

"Hey, who's going to clean up this vase?" Asked the medic-nin.

--

Ino squeezed her eyes shut against the sting of the hot water against her many scratches as she lowered herself into the bathtub. Once the initial pain was gone, she sighed as the magic of hot water and bubbles worked on her weary body. The steam rose up around her upper body still above the water, and Ino laid back until she was fully submerged up to the neck and sighed again.

She looked down at her feet just below the surface of the water, but she wasn't seeing the bubbly water or her own feet.

She saw a handsome boy with red triangles and fangs wearing all black and a sad face.

Kiba looked at her wordlessly, slightly nodding and slowing his pace so she could catch up. Straightening her black dress, Ino ran after Kiba, stopping beside him and matching his stride.

"How'd it go?" Ino asked, slightly out of breath.

"You could feel the sadness in the air, it hung like a heavy curtain over our heads," Kiba said.

_Uh oh, Kiba's getting poetic and descriptive. Now I'm worried. _Ino thought with a sad laugh.

"I feel so horrible, Shino's parents probably hate me," Ino said, crossing her arms. Kiba stopped, and Ino stopped too.

"Ino, we've been over this a thousand times, it wasn't your fault," Kiba said, and Ino could tell he was getting ready to plow into the 'don't be guilty, Ino' speech.

"We should hurry," Ino said, changing the subject quickly, "We don't want to be late for the funeral."

They walked the rest of the way in grim silence, knowing that attending this funeral will confirm Shino's death. It hurt. There was a hitch in Ino's heart, and she barely knew the kid.

Ino turned to look at Kiba, and for the first time noticed the dark rings under his eyes, the tired slump of his body. He wasn't doing well. And she should have noticed sooner.

_But you were to preoccupied with your own problems, because you are selfish. Sakura was better._

Ino gripped her head, and slowed down.

"Ino!"

_It's Shino's funeral, and you're still being self centered and trying to get all the attention._

"I'm fine," She said, waving him off and willing Itachi's voice to leave her head.

They were almost to the funeral, Ino could see the two coffins sitting up on the stage-like platform. Many people were already there.

Ino spotted Hinata and ran to her, eager to hug the girl and to get away from Kiba's concerned hovering.

"Hinata! Are you ok!?" She called, pulling the weeping blue-haired girl into a bear hug.

**Bang! Bang! Bang!**

Ino jumped in surprise, jerked from her memory.

"What?" Ino grumbled, loudly. She hated being surprised.

"Kiba's here to see you!" Her Mother called through the wooden door.

"Ok, I'll be down soon," Ino said.

There was no reply, and Ino figured that her Mother had left and went off to do who-knows-what. Ino scooped up water in a cup and dumped it over her head, washing her hair and body quickly.

"Today we are gathered to honor and put to rest two great Shinobi. Their names are now carved into the memorial, for they are brave ninja who died in battle," The priest said, dressed fully in black like everyone gathered in front of him.

Ino eyes were downcast. The funeral reminded her of the Hokage's death. She remembered the toll it had taken on everyone, especially on Asuma-sensei.

She dumped another of cup of water over her head, then set it down to grab the shampoo bottle.

Ino leaned her head against Kiba's shoulder when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

They stood like that for nearly an hour, until it was time to place flowers on the coffin. Everyone stepped up to place a flower down on each coffin, Ino had cut a majority of them-funerals were occasions were they earned a lot of money-and she held one of the white roses she had cut in her own hand.

"_Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry,"_ Ino mumbled under her breath as she approached the two looming mahogany boxes. This wasn't about her and, besides, kunoichi didn't cry.

Ino finished up with washing her hair and body, and stepped out of the tub. She dressed quickly, Kiba was waiting for her, and ignored her wet hair for now. She hurried down the stairs, pushing the funeral memories out of her head.

She heard Kiba's voice, it was oh-so-familiar to her now, and smiled despite her anger at herself and Shikamaru.

"Kiba," Ino said, emerging into the room.

"Hey, Ino," Kiba said, turning to her without a smile, "Yuri escaped."

Ino's face fell.

"She what?" Ino asked, dumbstruck.

"Escaped," Kiba said.

'But how-? She was unconscious…for a week," Ino said, putting a hand to her forehead and feeling faint all of a sudden.

Kiba was on her in a second, supporting her by placing a hand under her elbow.

--

"Wake up, un."

"Deidara?" Yuri asked, recognizing him even with a foggy mind.

"Yeah, you seem pretty beat up," He said, brushing her bangs out of her face to get a better look at her swelled up face.

"That weak blonde learned a few new tricks. She's not as helpless as she was before," Yuri said bitterly, opening her eyes, "It was two against one."

"I've seen you take a whole squad of shinobi," Deidara commented. Yuri sighed.

"But that whole squad of shinobi hadn't trained for three years together and weren't coming at me with vengeance. It makes a difference," Yuri said, closing her eyes again. She was so tired. And sore. So sore. Ino was going to pay.

"Her friend, the pink haired one, killed Sasori," Deidara said.

"Sasori-san?" Yuri said, her eyes shooting open again with surprise.

"I just returned from that mission, another failure," Deidara said, shaking his head, but keeping his eyes on her.

"Leader-sama is going to be angry, I failed my mission too," Yuri said. She may not be an Akatsuki member, but she was closely aligned with them. It'd all started when her sister fell in love with Itachi. Now, they were getting used left and right. But Yuri didn't mind that much, it was exciting to say the least.

"Speaking of missions, we should get out of here before we're discovered," Deidara said, not looking the least bit nervous.

"Whatever you say," Yuri said, her eyes drifting shut again. She didn't even bother to ask how Deidara had brought her out of her unconsciousness or how he'd gotten there. Or even what happened to his arms. It was the their code: She didn't ask, and he didn't tell. Simple as that.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for updating so late, but life has a way of getting away from you and somethings seem to get pushed to the back of the mind on accident. It doesn't help that my dad is a total computer hog. (and it's MY computer he's hogging.)**

**I'll upload the next chapter for Please Don't Hurt Me (pdhm) tomorrow, it's late and I'm tired.**

**Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to_ kamooi-of-black-fireglow _my first reviewer. Thank you!**

"Beautiful…beautiful…," The flowers whispered as the bowed in the strong, spring gust. How she heard them over the loud whooshing of the wind, Ino didn't know.

Ino sat in the field among the bowing, white flowers -reaching so low they were kissing the ground with delicate petals-, her hair and clothes flapping wildly around her. She closed her eyes, but she didn't know if she'd done so to protect her eyes or to hear the flowers better.

"Beautiful? Flowers, is it me you're talking about?" Ino ventured, saying the words before she'd knew what they were.

"Beautiful…beautiful…," They continued to say, ignoring her or, perhaps, not hearing her.

"Beautiful! What's beautiful!?" Ino shouted, but the wind carried away her voice, blowing stronger then ever.

Then, the ground started to shake.

Ino looked around, wildly, trying to find the source of the shaking. She stood up, wobbling a bit, and squinted her eyes to see if she could find the source somewhere in the hazy distance.

Her wild searching paused when she'd spotted him. A dark shadow looming at the rise of the hill.

"Hey!" Ino yelled, waving her hands over her head, "Get off the tracks! A train is coming!"

Sure enough, a train appeared from around the hill, a bright light and loud whistle announcing it's appearance. The boy standing on the tracks didn't seem to notice, but he was turning slowly to look at Ino.

Ino ran in his direction, still waving her hands over her head and calling. If the boy didn't get off the tracks now, he'd get hit.

If the ground had been shaking earlier, it was really shaking now. As Ino drew closer to the boy and the tracks, it steadily grew harder and harder for her to keep her balance. She was close enough to see his face now. He was regarding her with a curious expression, a dark eyebrow arched just above his sunglasses. Ino couldn't make out much more of his features, most of them hidden away in a cloak and sunglasses.

"Look, you have to get off the tracks, ok?" Ino said to him, pointing at the train, which was rapidly approaching.

"Why? I like the tracks," The boy said, "I come here to clear my thoughts."

"Have you cleared all your thoughts, then?" Ino asked, sarcastically.

The whistle blew again, so close, and Ino knew what she must do. Hesitating to take a breath, smelling flowers -forever her favorite scent- for the last time. Then, before she could change her mind, Ino sprang forward, knocking the boy out of the way.

On the tracks, the vibration was stronger, traveling from the soles of her feet into her very heart. Ino placed a tentative hand over her heart, and prepared for impact.

Her bangs whooshed up, her ponytail flapped high into the air, as the train…went straight through her. All feeling left her body as she felt a numbing coldness enter her. It was as if the train had stolen all the life from her body, and she turned to watch it continue down the track.

With chattering teeth, Ino noticed that the train was rocking on the tracks, like it was going to fall off of them. The smoke trail grew thicker and darker, and when Ino squinted, she saw red.

The train was on fire.

"It's going to explode!" The boy yelled, the fire reflecting in his sunglasses.

Ino turned to run, but her cold body wasn't cooperating very well and she fell.

**BOOM!!**

The earth shook harder than it had with the train, the ground was cracking apart, and fire was everywhere. At first, the fire was her friend, chasing away the cold and warming her inside and out. But, it quickly turned into her enemy, rising blisters along her hand and drying out her skin. She could feel her skin hardening from the heat and the burning sensation that came along with it and made her sick to her stomach.

Ino woke up, gasping for air.

"It was just a dream," Ino said. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, and almost screamed at the searing pain. Pushing down the covers, she saw that her skin was all burned and blistered.

"It's ok, calm down," A unfamiliar voice said.

"T-t-the train," Ino sputtered out.

"I don't know about a train, but I rescued you from that blonde man," The voice said. Ino tore her eyes away from her skin, it was red and ugly, to look at whoever was talking to her. She was beautiful. The woman had long brown hair, that she wore down and it reached mid thigh, and her clothes were green. She had big brown eyes, and her waist was impossible small.

"Blonde man…," Ino said, suddenly remembering the explosion.

"Yeah, he was packing some powerful explosives," The lady said. Ino couldn't help but notice how skinny she was.

"I can't believe I let them get away," Ino groaned, trying to ignore how she looked chubby next to this woman.

"What was a little girl like you doing going after an Akatsuki member?" She asked.

"I'm not a little girl," Ino said, crossing her arms and pretending like it didn't hurt as bad as it did.

"Would you like me to heal those for you?" She asked, not mentioning the fact that Ino hadn't answered her previous question.

"Yeah…," Ino said, "Uhm…"

"Nozomi," The woman said, her brown eyes twinkling.

"Ino," Ino replied.

"Well, Ino, can I heal those up for you, then?" Nozomi asked.

Ino nodded. Nozomi smiled and began preparing some sort of healing serum, crunching, cutting, and mixing together different ingredients in a small bowl. Then, Ino realized something.

"Was…was there a white dog with me?" Ino asked, worry clouding her blue eyes.

"No, there wasn't, I'm sorry," Nozomi said, looking up at Ino while mixing a light pasty-looking liquid with a big spoon.

"Ok," Ino said, looking down and away from Nozomi.

"It's done," Nozomi said, after a small silence had passed over them, "Hold still."

Ino did her best to hold still, but it hurt so bad. She clenched her mouth shut to keep from screaming, and was only half-successful because a pain-filled noise still filled the tent. It stung, like the feeling of burning intensified. Ino felt like she was going to pass out, and she actually saw blackness creeping in on her vision, the pain threatening to take over.

Then, as quickly as the pain had came, it was gone.

Ino looked down at her arms, there were no longer red or burned.

"You'll still have the blisters for a while, and you'll have to take lukewarm baths for a while, but it should be fine now," Nozomi said, setting a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks," Ino said, poking a blister on her wrist.

"You're a Shinobi of Konoha, right?" Nozomi asked.

"Yeah," Ino said, looking up at her.

"Could you do me a favor?" Nozomi asked, brown eyes focused on Ino's face.

"Depends on what it is," Ino said. She knew better than to agree to do something before knowing what it was, especially as a shinobi.

"Could you pass a message on to Jiraya?"

--

"There you are," He said to himself as she walked by.

She turned to look at him warily as she passed, as if she knew his intentions.

A wide smile dawned his rough features and he began to follow her. She picked up her speed.

Yes. This was her.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Finally...here's an update.**

**Love ya guys! Thanks for the reviews.**

"Jiraya-sama?" Ino said, surprised to find him so soon.

"Ah, hello," He said, not even turning to look at her.

"Uhm, I have a message for you," Ino ventured, not sure if he was even paying attention to her. She was still a bit shocked. Ino was returning to Konoha, traveling towards the large gates signifying entrance to the village, when she saw the old man crouched in front of some bushes.

"Tell Tsunade that I'm busy," Jiraya muttered, twisting his telescope a bit, and giggling like Naruto.

Ino sighed.

"It's from Nozomi-san," Ino said. Jiraya straightened and turned to look at her, folding his telescope.

"Let me see it," He said, serious now that he was in business mode.

A feminine giggle carried over to where Jiraya and Ino were standing. Ino looked into the clearing and saw some girls playing in the river, wearing very revealing swimsuits.

"Were you peeking at them?" Ino asked, shooting him a look of disgust.

"No, I wasn't peeking, I was researching," Jiraya insisted, holding his hand out, "Now, let me see the message."

"Sure, research," Ino said, rolling her eyes and handing him the message. She wondered what it said, she had tried reading it, but it was written in some code she didn't know. Ino waited and watched him as he unrolled the message and read it.

He read it quickly, rolled it up, and then…disappeared.

"HEY!" Ino objected, upset that he escaped without giving her any explanation.

"Who's there?" One of the girls called from the river.

"Stop hiding and show yourself!" Another called, giggling.

Ino shook her head in disbelief.

"No self-respecting girl would act that way," She said, quietly, before heading back to the path.

"Ino?" Shikamaru said, standing at the entrance conversing with two guarding shinobi. He looked shocked and confused.

"Hey," Ino said, walking past him and on down the path. She needed to speak with Tsunade-sama.

"Troublesome woman," Ino heard Shikamaru grumble, and couldn't help but smile.

"Ino!" Ino sighed, this was getting annoying. She kept walking, deciding to ignore Naruto. If she stopped for each person who called her name, she'd never reach Tsunade.

"Ino, did you hear me?" Naruto said, running to catch up with her.

"I need to talk to Tsunade," Ino said, still walking. Naruto kept walking with her.

"Where were you? What happened? People thought you ran off like Sasuke," Naruto exclaimed.

"I wasn't gone that long, two days tops," Ino said, "You guys are getting worked up over nothing."

"You were gone for a week," Naruto said, "Kiba was crazy with worry. He thought you died, or something, when Akamaru returned all burnt and bloody."

"Is Akamaru ok?" Ino asked, her stomach clenching.

"Yeah, he's ok. Are you going to tell me what happened?" Naruto pressed.

"That's why I have to get to Tsunade-sama. I have to report to her," Ino said, walking briskly.

--

"Nozomi said that she saw Ino go after the Akatsuki man and Yuri," Jiraya said, looking seriously at Tsunade.

"Nozomi hasn't sent word in a long time, did she say what she's been up to?" Tsunade asked, messaging her temples.

"Just that she's been following the Akats-"

"TSUNADE-SAMA!" Naruto burst into the office, "I found Ino!"

"Shut up, I came on my own," Ino said, walking in after him, though more calmly.

"Ino, do you realize that just leaving without permission classifies you as a missing-nin?" Tsunade asked, her face serious.

"I have some information for you, let me explain," Ino said, her face blank.

Tsunade and Jiraya exchanged looks before Tsunade nodded at Ino, giving her permission to explain.

"When I heard that Yuri escaped, I was furious. I was told that she was going to be in a coma for a long time and that she was secure. After Kiba told me she had escaped, I left. Not telling anyone where I was going, I headed to Hana's.

I told her that we had an urgent mission that required Akamaru's assistance…"

--

"Come on, Akamaru!" Ino called to the dog. The dog took a few hesitant steps and then looked back over his shoulder.

"We'll meet up with Kiba later," Ino fibbed, trying to reassure the dog, "Come on. Please."

The dog whined and flattened his ears to his head, looking back over his shoulder again.

"Fine, Akamaru, I'm leaving. I'm in a hurry and if you won't come then you can deal with an angry Kiba. It's not my problem," Ino said in a huff, turning and starting in the other direction.

She smiled as she leaped the branches, hearing Akamaru's progress behind her. Ino ran as fast as she could without totally exhausting herself and making her useless when she caught her targets.

"Akamaru, can you pick up her scent?" Ino asked, holding up the bed sheet to remind him what scent she was talking about. Akamaru barked and plunged in front of her, taking them more to the right.

After twenty minutes or so, Ino saw Yuri and her rescuer. The escapees were traveling at a steady pace…afloat a giant, white bird. Ino squinted to make sure she was seeing things right.

"Ok, Akamaru, quiet now!" Ino warned as they drew closer to the couple on the bird. Picking up her speed, and Akamaru following suit, Ino aligned herself under the white abomination and pulled out a kunai.

_I wonder if it bleeds._

Ino looked up, aimed, and fired the kunai at the bird's large stomach. The bird tilted to the side and the kunai sailed past, harmlessly. When it righted again, Ino saw the man smirking at her.

**BOOM!**

Something small and silvery floated down towards her and exploded in the air before her. Ino shielded her eyes and looked up in time for another one.

**BOOM!**

Somewhere close by, Akamaru yelped, and Ino felt a sense of dread wash over her.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

They were coming down at her faster and exploding closer to her. Ino did her best to twist and avoid the little white bombs.

**BOOOM!**

Ino's eyes widened when one floated down far enough for her to see that it was a white spider. It exploded close to her face and pain ignited in her cheeks and eyes.

"AHH!" Ino screamed, missing the next branch. She plummeted to the forest floor. Between the tree branches, she saw flashes of white. The flashes grew more frequent and the branches grew sparser until, Ino saw the full bird, diving beside her.

Deidara was looking at her, his look of joy at the feeling of free falling turned to a look of annoyance.

"Leave the Akatsuki alone, un," He said, ducking his head and diving faster. Ino saw the bird spread it's wings and swerve up at the last possible moment.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Little insects were exploding all around her and on her.

The last thing she heard before she landed and black out was Akamaru yelping in pain, again, and some one…singing.

--

"After that, I woke up in Nozomi-san's tent," Ino concluded.

Tsunade clasped her hands in front of her and took a deep breath.

"Ino," She started, her voice sounding strained, "You gathered some information and brought us word from Nozomi, which is good. But, you made poor decisions. There are search teams out for you. Some people even thought you had left to seek power, like Sasuke."

"But-" Ino started.

"-Please, don't interrupt," Tsunade said, "You are suspended from missions for a month and you will be under constant surveillance and on probation. Understood?"

"Tsunade-sama-" Ino started again.

"Understood?" The hokage cut off.

"Yes," Ino said, her eyes downcast.

"Good. Naruto, please escort Ino back to her home. I'm sure her parents would be happy to see her."

--

"Hold still," The man with silvery white hair said, clenching her arms harder as she struggled, "It'll hurt worse if you fight."

The other man standing across from him finished the last symbol and set aside the brush.

"Don't smudge any of the symbols," The man said sternly, putting his hands together.

The light-haired man holding the girl in place nodded.

The other man ran through hand signs quickly, and pressed his hands on the girl's chest. The skin around his hands rippled as the jutsu took affect. The girl's eyes went wide as felt unimaginable pain, starting from her chest and spreading through her body.

Something inside of her broke, and a scream rose from her throat.

It was raw and she only faintly recognized it, for she hadn't used her voice in years. The return of it could mean only one thing…

The seal had broken!

"She's ready."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the long delay! Here is the next chapter!**

**A Word of Advice: Never Moon A Werewolf!**

**Dedication: I know this is cheesy, but to all my reviewers. You guys keep me going. =)**

Ino pouted while she painted her toe nails dark purple. No matter how hard she had tried, she had not been able to corner Kiba. It hurt, because the harder she tried to find him, the more clear it became that he was avoiding her.

She wiggled her toes, waiting for them to dry. If only she could see him once, she could apologize and hopefully make things better.

Ino was working on her second coat when she suddenly found herself held down by a man. There was unimaginable pain shooting all through her body and she was screaming. Ino vaguely realized that this was not her body and that she recognized the mind signature of the person she was 'inhabiting'.

"Get away from me!" Ino yelled. For some reason the fact that she could use her voice was terrifying.

"Hold her still. She could mess this up," Ino couldn't see the person who owned this voice, but his words encouraged her to struggle harder.

"Konoha will save me! Kiba and Ino gave me their word!" Ino shouted, struggling desperately against the man that held her with a steel-like grip.

Then Ino was back in her room. Her nail polish was all over her light purple bed sheets and she was sweating. It took her a few minutes to recollect her thoughts. What had just happened?

Ino jumped up from her bed, the only thought in her head that someone was in trouble and she needed to tell Tsunade-sama right away.

"Honey? Where're you going?" Ino's mother called, but Ino didn't have time to stop and answer. She kept running down the street, shoving anyone who stood in her way, towards the hokage tower.

Ino was doing critical thinking. Whoever it was who was in trouble knew Konoha and knew Kiba and her. It was a girl and she had said that they had given her word. Talking was out of the ordinary for her.

When it suddenly dawned on her, Ino was ashamed it had taken her so long to realize who it was. Odori! That sweet girl they had protected on a mission a few years back. Ino and Kiba had kept in contact with her and Ino was very fond of her.

Ino skidded to a stop just outside the Hokage's office when two jounin stepped in front of the door.

"I don't have time for this! I need to see Tsunade-sama straight away! It's urgent!" Ino yelled, clenching her fists and hoping they would just move aside. She realized that this wouldn't happen when the ninja exchanged a wary glance and one reached for his weapon's pouch.

"Hokage-sama is in a meeting with the village elders at the moment. Whatever your problem is, it will have to wait," The other jounin asked, watching her intently as if waiting for her to attack. Ino felt panic clench at her stomach. Odori was in trouble right now! She couldn't wait. If ninja weren't sent out right away, it would be too late.

"Fine, I'll go wait in the lobby," Ino said, turning away. "Please make sure you come get when the meeting is over."

Ino walked back up the hallway, waiting until she was out of sight, and slipped out a window. Using her chakra, Ino swung herself up onto the roof. She almost expected there to be some form of challenge on the roof, but there wasn't. As she crept towards the window that belonged to the Hokage's room she kept a mindful eye out for chakra strings and any other traps.

Taking a deep breath and pulling a kunai out, Ino grabbed the edge of the roof and catapulted herself through the glass window. She landed roughly on the Hokage's desk and knocked most of Tsunade's possessions to the ground, including a rather large stack of papers.

"Ino! I'm sure you have a plausible explanation for this," Tsunade-sama said in a stern voice. Ino hopped off the desk and there was cracking as she stepped on glass. Two sour-looking elders stood in the office and they were both fixing her with displeased glares.

"I do, Tsunade-sama!" Ino said, pulling a glass shard from one of her hands. She was careful to keep polite in front of the elders, knowing that the entrance had already given them a bad impression. "Odori-chan's in trouble!"

"Odori? The girl from your mission with Kiba a few years ago at the waterfall village?" the Hokage asked.

"Yes! A team needs to be sent out immediately! We need to determine her location! She's in terrible danger!" Ino said, using hand motions to illustrate her urgency.

"Ino, please take a seat," Tsunade-sama said, gesturing towards a chair over by the elders.

"Hokage-sama?" Ino asked, clearly confused. She hesitated, staring at the Hokage for a moment, but she _was_ the leader of the village, so Ino sat as she was bid.

"How are you feeling? Nauseous? Have you been feeling faint at all?" the Hokage asked, walking up closer to get a better look at the blonde chounin.

"Tsunade-sama! I feel fine! Why are you doing this? Please just send some help to Odori!" Ino said, on her feet in anger.

"You shouldn't speak that way to the Hokage, foolish as she is. You need to have respect for your leader, young lady," One of the elders said, his neck muscle was loose and flapped as he spoke.

"I can handle this!" Tsunade-sama said, looking at Ino with narrow eyes. "How do you know that Odori is in trouble?"

"I-I don't know," Ino admitted. "I was in my room painting my toe nails when all of a sudden I was somewhere else. It was like when I use my mind jutsu, but I had no control over anything. I was in Odori's body and she was in great pain. A man was holding her down and Odori was screaming that Konoha would save her. That me and Kiba would save her! Tsunade I don't know if you know, but Odori is mute. She's been mute her whole life."

"I'm aware of this. What happened when you returned back from…your vision," Tsunade asked, and Ino was encouraged to go on. Tsunade-sama just had to believe her!

"I was back on my bed. Fingernail polish was all over and I was all sweaty. After I realized what had happened, I hopped up and ran here as fast as I could. The Jounin outside of the office barred my entrance so I came in another way," Ino said.

"Shizune!" Tsunade called.

"Hokage-sama," Said the female elder, sounding incredibly dismayed, "Surely you don't believe this. It isn't possible for her to know this. We were discussing important matters." Ino frowned when the old woman gave her a belittling look.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked, entering the office and not seeming too surprised at the mess around the desk and window.

"Go get Team Eight and Inoichi," Tsunade said. Shizune nodded and was off in a flash.

Team Eight? That meant Ino would get to see Kiba. For a second she did feel nauseous, joy and panic fighting in her stomach. She had to admit she was a little nervous.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Tadaaa! Happy Really-Early Valentine's Day.**

"Ino?" Ino looked up to see her Dad looming above her, hastily dressed in his mission clothes. Ino was now sitting in a room that was near the Hokage's office. The room was depressing, the walls and floor were all white and it was bare of everything except for the single chair that Ino sat in. The chair seemed ancient and wobbled precariously whenever she shifted. "You scared your Mom, just running out like that."

"Sorry, Dad, it was an emergency," Ino said, folding her hands in her lap and bowing her head in apology.

"Ah, Yamanaka-san," Tsunade-sama said. Ino looked up as Tsunade shut the door behind her with a soft click and pulled a piece of paper from a folder. Studying it for a second she passed it over to Inoichi.

"This is her?" Inoichi asked. Ino watched closely, trying to discern what they were talking about.

"Yes," Tsunade said, she shut the folder and turned to look at Ino. "I hope you can do this quickly. If what Ino says is true, Team Eight needs to be sent out immediately."

Inoichi nodded and lined himself up with his daughter. Ino didn't realize what he was doing until he pressed his hands together in the signature Yamanaka move.

"Daddy?" Ino questioned, her voice quavering a little. Never before had her own jutsu been used against her.

Her Dad didn't say anything, but Ino felt a firm grip on her mind and had to repress the urge to fight it. She could feel her Dad moving through her brain, passing easily through her recent thoughts and then her memories. Ino tried to make the process easier by thinking about what had happened only moments before.

When her Dad's presence finally left her mind, Ino opened her eyes, not realizing they had been closed, and saw her Dad getting back to his feet.

"I've never seen anything like it," Inoichi said, his eyes wide with awe. "It's only been theorized, because the Yamanaka clan uses their jutsu solely for combat, not wanting to invade the mind of people they consider friends or care for. So, we usually meet resistance. But, it seems that what we thought was right. If we use our jutsu to invade a person's mind and there is no resistance then a mental bond can form."

"Ino and Odori have a mental bond?" Tsunade asked.

"It appears that is the case. She must have been welcomed in Odori's mind for long enough for a bond to form. But, it seems that this bond was only triggered when Odori was in great distress, possibly close to death." Inoichi said.

"Close to death?" Ino shouted as she leapt from the chair, "We have to leave now!"

"We?" Tsunade repeated. She put a hand on the door knob, preparing to leave the room. "You are not allowed to go on missions. You are on probation. Team Eight will be on their way in a few moments. Too bad Sakura is out on a mission."

Ino stared at the door in stunned silence as Tsunade and her Dad left the room, the door clicking softly once again. Ino sunk to her knees and covered her eyes.

"I'm so stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

---

Team Eight raced through the trees in the direction of Takigakure, Land of the Waterfall. This was Odori's home and Tsunade figured that the Akatsuki couldn't be too far from here. Once they got within the borders of Takigakure, they would have to track Odori down. And tracking was Team Eight's specialty.

Kiba lead the group. He was the mission leader and also the most familiar with the landscape, having been the only one to travel to this small country recently.

He looked over his shoulder to make sure that Hinata and Neji were still behind him. No matter how many missions he went on with team eight, it never failed to feel like there was a piece missing, because there was. Shino's spot was usually filled by whatever member of the Konoha Eleven was able to come along at the time.

"We're getting close to the border," Neji reported, his Byakugan activated. "I can see a town coming up."

"We'll be there soon, then," Kiba said, refocusing his attention back to where they were headed. Odori was counting on him and he refused to go back on his word and not be there to save her.

He would never forget that it was on Odori's mission that Kiba and Ino had started their relationship, even though now he didn't want to face her at the moment. Allowing Akamaru to get hurt like that mad him burn with anger. Ino didn't even include Kiba in the mission, just leaving him behind like he had no part in her plan for revenge.

After a few moments they were just outside of the town that Odori lived in. Kiba paused and tried to find the freshest scent.

"Akamaru, do you smell that?" Kiba asked, looking at his nindog. Akamaru barked in agreement. "It's smells strongly of hospital rooms during surgery," Kiba explained to the others, who of course couldn't smell it. The smell carried on the air, just west of where they were.

They moved quickly through the woods towards the scent and ended up standing at a tunnel entrance.

"It's a tunnel for the citizens of the town to escape into during a crisis," Hinata said in her small voice. "There's a similar set up in the town my last mission was in."

"I don't see anyone inside," Neji said, the skin around his eyes returning to normal as he dispelled his jutsu. "Are you sure this is the place?"

"I couldn't be surer, it stinks," Kiba said. He turned to Hinata. "How do these tunnels work?"

"They are long and go pretty far down into the earth. They're cold and wet and there's several chambers about a mile in. They're pretty effective to protect the townspeople, but once criminals found out about them they've been using them as hideouts. There were a whole bunch of them crawling around," Hinata answered, squinting into the dark tunnel. "Even with Byakugan we won't see anyone for a while."

"Alright," Kiba said, looking at his team. "Let's go in." Neji and Hinata nodded and they all crept down into the tunnel. Ever since Shino had died he had to take on the role of leader. Times like this made him miss his friend more than anything. He caught Hinata's eye and she seemed to catch this because she put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You're a great leader," She whispered. "Shino would think so, too."

"Thank you," He whispered back.

---

"Konoha won't make it in time," The man said. He placed his hand on her upper chest once again and Odori felt an odd sensation that she could only describe as if a thick, slow moving liquid was trying to force it's way through her veins.

"W-what is happening?" Odori asked, her voice quaking wildly as her body started to spasm. She no longer had control of her limbs and they were twitching and stretching randomly without her permission. The men just laughed at her, refusing to answer her question.

Then she felt another odd sensation, that reminded her of when Ino had possessed her. Except Ino wasn't controlling her, whatever was happening was due to the silver-haired man's jutsu. But she couldn't shake the thought that Ino's presence was with her.

"What is happening to me?" Odori asked as she felt a prickling pain, like someone was shoving several needles all over her body, strongest around the man's hand. The skin around his hand turned a violent shade of green and the green started to spread out. Odori whimpered as a sharp pain in her chest brought tears to her eyes.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Odori asked, even though they weren't answering her.

"You should know, Jinchuriki," The man said, answering a question at long last. "You had to know that we were going to come for you sometime."

---

When Ino returned back to herself she was sprawled on the floor with her cheek pressed against wood that had been painted white. She sat up, panicked, until she recognized the room she was in as the one that Tsunade and her Dad had left her in.

Tsunade! She had to tell Tsunade!

But when she tried to open the door, she found it locked. She shook the door knob. When it still didn't give away she slammed her fist into the door in anger. Not so much as a dent was left in the wood. Ino was unsatisfied with this, so she grabbed the chair and through it at the wall. It had the decency to break into six different pieces and Ino found that it had helped her calm down a little bit.

It was horrible to be able to see these things happen to Odori and not be able to do anything about it. She wished so bad that she could be there.


	8. AN: Name Change and Etc

**Dear Readers,**

**I have a few things to address quickly:**

**1. As you may have or may not have noticed, but I have changed my pen name. It used to be iluvkiba44, but now it is Silva Bramley. That is for two reasons. One, because iluvkiba44 is more like a username than a pen name. Two, because I go by so many web aliases (Melanie, Reina, Tayrn, Anna-mae) that I've decided to narrow them down to one, which will be Silva Bramley. So, I hope that doesn't confuse or upset anyone. And if someone does take up the name iluvkiba44, then just know that that is a different person entirely and I am not going back to the name.**

**2. I will still be updating my stories, but the updates will be much more slower and more far-in-between (sorry, since they were pretty slow in the first place!) due to a hectic schedule. I've recently been in a car accident (no one was hurt) but I'm going to be working more this summer to pay for it. Plus, my mother is pregnant, so I have to help her out more than I usually do. (enough about my social life, lol)**

**Also, I've started on a book that I hope to get published. So, when I do have chances to write, I'll probably write on that more than my fanfictions. **

**Now, here's a list of stories that are going to be updated the most:**

**Greater Good  
Please Don't Hurt Me  
A Symbol of Love**

**Here are the stories that probably won't be updated that often:**

**The Beginning of Forever  
Nightfall**

**And, here are the stories that probably won't be updated at all in the near future (I guess you can say they're on hiatus):**

**Neji-kun: You Will Love Me  
Te Amo**

**I'm sure I'll have one-shots still being posted, since I love to type one every once in a while. Though, it seems all my oneshots are sasukexino, lol.**

**3. I used to write strictly just Ino stories, but I've decided to branch out and write in other categories, too. So you'll notice that I've recently started a Harry Potter Story and I'll soon be starting a Fable one. (I know, I have too many stories already, but I can't help myself and I'm allowed to have as many as I like!) I don't see why that matters to you, but I've decided to fill you all in on that. =)**

**4. I've been on Fanfiction for a whole year now. Actually, a little longer now. lol. =) (I can't believe I only have two of my stories completed, though)**

**Alright, my author's note is running long now and I'm starting to ramble, so I'll end it now.**

**Yours,**

**Bram-chan. =)**


End file.
